Any news media story that covers furries is likely to focus heavily on fursuiters, and their striking visual appeal and fuzzy glamor. Fursuiters can't represent the whole of furry fandom, when "furry" is a vague and broadly defined umbrella over anything related to anthropomorphic animals- but I think it's OK to consider fursuiters the expressive, theatrical soul of furrydom. There is an element of "ambassador" role to their hobby. Without the 15-20% of furries who wear fursuits and costumes for role-playing, you'd just have regular unglamorous nerds saying "meow! I'm a cat". That's what crazy people do.

Me, I prefer the term fabulous. I like to put on silver disco pants and a Husky partial, and get on the subway to go dance and hug random people, under the influence of blasting techno music and magical substances in the air. They get so entranced by a giant sparkly talking dog, that they hand over their babies for photos. That actually happened several times this weekend at the How Weird Street Faire. I didn't know where those babies had been, but I let them touch my paws anyways, even more carefully than when I pick up my tiny chihuahua (who gets super confused and never knows whether to trust me when I dress up.) As far as I can tell, everyone loved the experience, even the astonished babies. Those photos might provoke some interesting questions when they grow up.

Taking the subway home made an extra special conclusion to the day. Meerk and I were on our own, after parting ways with the group and handlers who stayed for after-parties. When a husky and a meerkat stepped on the car of the BART train, there was a wave of laughter, raised cameras, and incredulous questions from people who had been settled in for a boring mass transit ride in coats and ties. Several got up for photos with us, sat down to post to Facebook, then got back up to share how much fun they were having. But the best part was standing in the doorway as the car pulled in to each station, and watching commuters walk past the open doors and do a cartoonish double-take. It happened every time someone walked by. Meerk said: "I love making people's day like this... this is why I have a fursuit."

I'll let you argue for your preferred furry experience, but street fursuiting is mine. I'm shameless for exposing my fursuit to surprised and delighted members of the largely uninitiated public. It never fails to arouse curiosity, turn heads, and invite photos, dancing or hugs. Some may yell out "Furries!" and a few may confuse it with the word "Plushie" (a different species, that I suspect is more of a dated media creation than a self-applied label these days). There will also be some "phwooooar!" reactions, prurient interest, shock, or "I'll-just-pretend-that-didn't-walk-past" constipated expressions.

This kind of casual street theater seems to go over with overwhelmingly positive response in San Francisco. Here, Improv Everywhere's annual No Pants Subway Ride is a thing, and it's no surprise when I pass a man wearing little more than a bridal veil and nun makeup on the way to work in the morning. Furries are an acceptable part of the landscape.

Costumes are a way of life.
“Is that a costume, or is that how you always dress?” is a legitimate question in San Francisco. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve thought that question when I look at a fellow passenger on the bus or a group of people walking down the street.

Even with the prevalence of outlandish fashion in this city, fursuiters stand out as more glamorous and head-turning than most any other sight. Street fairs are a perfect occasion for them. There's an ethusiastic audience of packed crowds looking for fun, a relaxed-social-rules festival atmosphere, and a progressive urban community that blocks off streets to make a place for the energy. Compared to furry cons, there's no expectation for a predictable furry presence, and it creates a special kind of surprise. I can't say enough about the positivity of furry cons and their strong growth in the past decade or so, as a real-life social glue for a largely internet-based fandom. But they are a safe and planned space that can bring to mind criticism I've heard about cliques and pre-fab experiences. Street fursuiting can bring extra spontaneity.

The street fair season is here, and I'm excited for it. Fursuiters will be present at upcoming events around San Francisco, including SF Pride 2013 (AKA "gay christmas.") Last year's was a blast. But unpredictability also brings risk for fursuiters in the spotlight, especially from overly friendly or even aggressively drunk people. Good handlers are valuable. That comes up in conversation on a Fur Affinity journal posted by Samoy Wolf, another fursuiter who brought the magic with us to How Weird Street Faire, and the previous week's outing to the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Comments

I remember the first AC I was spotting for sister in her Lynx costume. We were heading back to the Double tree and must have missed a block turn because it took us longer to get back. Mostly because people on the block we walked which had a large walkway lobby in from of what seemed to be a large bank building caused a lot of people to stop us and ask for photos. Much more than on the normal 'shortest' route which was comprised more of alleyways with less foot traffic.

I dunno about the most fun but it certainly is memorable. I've only done it once, not in suit because none of the available ones fitted me, especially with glasses, but I was supposed to be a handler. Just before it happened though I got switched to cameraman and filmed the event. I can relate to some of the experiences here but one that I didn't see mentioned, and maybe it's more unique for South Africa where this sort of thing is very rare, was that a number of the children were terrified of the suits. It was quite amusing when one would hide behind parents or start crying, especially when the parents seemed to find it just as funny.

"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~

Haha, I think kids do things that are universal, like being scared of clowns or people in costumes. It helps a lot to get down really low and ask them for high-fives, so I haven't seen too many cry or anything. Actually, it's hard to see them with limited vision if you aren't looking low! I've almost stepped on a few.

Oops, I used poor choices of words that caused unintentional upset elsewhere. The comments about "unglamorous nerds" and "crazy people" are meant to be humorous self deprecation because obviously I go way beyond that. Sorry.

" but I think it's OK to consider fursuiters the expressive, theatrical soul of furrydom."

If I were to pick what is the "soul" of the fandom, I don't think it would be fursuiters.
Unless you are saying that they are specifically the "THEATRICAL soul" well maybe.
There used to not be that many fursuiters.